No Update on Return to Sports.

 Written Friday December 4th at 4:10 PM

There is still no word from the State of Michigan regarding the decision to let high school sports back especially fall sports to finish their season.

MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said on the Huge Show that he wrote a letter to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Chief Medical Executive Doctor Joneigh Khaldun, and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon last week.

He mentioned that there were positive dialogue between them and the governor’s office but no decision hasn’t been made yet.

The MHSAA is still waiting for an answer after Whitmer, Gordon, and Khaldun announced a three week pause on November 18^th which included pausing fall and winter sports. The pause expires on December 8^th even though Whitmer hinted that her restrictions could be extended because of the rising coronavirus cases.

Football was at the regional final rounds while volleyball and swimming and diving were at the final weeks of the season.

Uyl made mention that they would likely finish the season without fans in the stands if given the green light.

Uyl did mention if sports are not allowed until 2021 then the league would have to go back to the drawing board. He said that volleyball and swimming and diving could be moved back to January and February while football would have to be moved to the spring just for those three weeks. Winter and spring sports would be pushed back as well.

Uyl mentioned that he was an optimist about the completion of fall sports. “I’m an optimist by nature. That is where I continue to live both mentally and physically.”Also what helps is that you can do sports even when schools are remote. Most schools were remote during fall season.

 

Thoughts

I’ve had hints that this could happen with previous podcasts where the MHSAA could push everything back. It wouldn’t surprise me if the 2020-2021 school year ends in July.

It does seem encouraging that there has been some positive dialogue between Whitmer, Khaldun, Gordon, and the MHSAA. It does seem that Whitmer wants everything to be successful and that she is taking the emotional and mental side of things into account.

We’ll find out more when the announcement is made.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story.